Radio Flyer (1992)

Radio Flyer (1992)

Taglines: Powered by imagination.

Radio Flyer movie storyllne. A father reminisces about his childhood when he and his younger brother moved to a new town with their mother, her new husband and their dog, Shane. When the younger brother is subjected to physical abuse at the hands of their brutal stepfather, Mike decides to convert their toy trolley, the “Radio Flyer”, into a plane to fly him to safety.

Radio Flyer is a 1992 drama-fantasy film from Columbia Pictures. It is a Stonebridge Entertainment Production in association with Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions (now known as simply The Donners’ Company). The film, directed by Richard Donner and, as uncredited, David Mickey Evans, is executive produced by David Mickey Evans and Michael Douglas; and stars Elijah Wood, Joseph Mazzello, Tom Hanks, Lorraine Bracco, Adam Baldwin, and Ben Johnson. Filming locations included Novato, California, and Columbia Airport in Columbia, California.

About the Story

Mike (Tom Hanks) is observing his two sons fighting; with one insisting that a promise doesn’t mean anything. To make them understand that a promise does mean something, he tells them the story of his youth. Young Mike (Elijah Wood), his little brother Bobby (Joseph Mazzello), their mother Mary (Lorraine Bracco) and their German Shepherd Shane move to a new town after their father/husband leaves them. There, Mary marries a new man named Jack (Adam Baldwin), who likes the others to call him “The King”. Unbeknownst to Mary, the King is an alcoholic who often gets drunk and beats Bobby.

The two boys, seeing that their mother has found happiness at last with the King, are reluctant to tell either her or the police about the abuse. They instead try to avoid the King by exploring and having adventures amidst the turmoil and traumatic experiences. In the process, the two devise a plan for Bobby to escape the King once and for all.

Inspired by the urban legend of a boy named Fisher who attempted to fly away on his bicycle, the two convert their eponymous Radio Flyer toy wagon into an airplane. With it, Bobby flies away. Though Mike never sees him again, he continues to receive postcards from him from places all over the world.

Radio Flyer Movie Poster (1992)

Radio Flyer (1992)

Directed by: Richard Donner
Starring: Lorraine Bracco, John Heard, Elijah Wood, Joseph Mazzello, Adam Baldwin, Ben Johnson, Sean Baca, Robert Munic, Garette Ratliff Henson
Narrated by: Tom Hanks
Screenplay by: David M. Evans
Production Design by: J. Michael Riva
Cinematography by: László Kovács
Film Editing by: Stuart Baird
Costume Design by: April Ferry
Set Decoration by: Michael Taylor
Art Direction by: David F. Klassen
Music by: Hans Zimmer
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for theme (child abuse) and violence.
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: February 21, 1992

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